Cabin Fever

It's That Time of Year Again!  Winter...and I have been bitten by the creative bug.  Yes, it has happened.  It is once again the Christmas holiday. With two long weeks of vacation time, we are hard bent to find enough to do to keep ourselves out of each other's hair.  How will we ever survive?  (a touch of what it will be like when Jim retires?)

We have solved this dilemma.  While he is busy building a barn shaped storage shed in the back yard, I am frantically picking up a paint brush and creating my own indoor garden on the walls of my living room. 

Not only is Jim building this important project to house his new "Christmas" tools, it will serve as his private get-a-way.  With retirement looming in the near future, this added personal space is a crucial component for surviving retirement.  

Click on the thumbnail to view the larger picture

To read Jim's article about this project and to see the construction process from start to finish, Click Here.

As for my indoor garden project... ...the project started after watching several Trading Spaces programs from their Christmas Day Trading Spaces marathon.  Frank, one of my favorite designers, (because he can pick up a paint brush and create magic), was doing a Mexican them complete with the exposed brick and crumbling plaster thing.  

I had watched this particular room being done several times, but had not had the courage to try it.  Then I remembered what I always tell people.  "It is only paint It's not forever!"  Suddenly I was hunting around the house for paints of all kinds.

  I started with the faux crumbling plaster look.  I took pencil in hand and drew the outline of what I wanted the brick area to look like.  I deliberately picked a small space to practice on.   I stood back and looked at the space for a moment before continuing.  If you ever have the chance to watch me work, I often, during the process, step back and just look at the project.  You may even find me sitting in a chair, looking at the work I have just done.  Beside the joy of looking at the mural I am creating, (it is fun watching it take shape), I am, (what I call), "Living with it" for a moment to see how it looks, feels and is transforming the room.  It doesn't just have to look right, it must "feel" right.    What could feel better for an indoor garden than a picket fence and a birdhouse.  I like wainscoting.  I, however, wanted to paint one.  I decided that a picket fence was the perfect way to divide the wall.  Every garden should have a picket fence somewhere.   As you can see, I have carried the garden them to my fireplace mantle.  Nestled among the painted ivy are a lady bug, butterfly, and dragonfly.  These smallest of god's creatures, are special.  I used glass jewels to accent their wings.  The sun catches them and they sparkle in the daylight. 

You will notice that I enjoy a rather eclectic decor.  The Oriental flavor fits perfectly into a garden theme.  Cranes adorn the fan that is the focal point of the mantle.  A lucky bamboo sits to the right, while a hand carved Asian statue stands guard on the right.  It is simple, yet elegant.

Now, back to the wall......the foyer welcomes guests into your home.  Here you see a grouping that provides the guest with a hint of what is to come.   A huge spider plant hangs from the post that separates the dining room from the living room.  In the space above the half wall, we will place shelves for display and hang beaded curtains from the shelves to the wall plate that covers the top and acts as a shelf. 

A statue of a heron stands as if waiting for a meal to come along.  I have taken colors for the room from the picture that hangs above the whitewashed wooden shelf in the foyer.  It's rich reds and oranges are softened by the muted tones of pastel fuscia, spring and summer greens, and the vibrant blue of the pitcher that hold the bold flowers.

  Pick one thing in your room that you take your colors from and work from there.  Keeping with the garden theme, I added accents that complimented the look.  Flowers and garden animals are perfect accents for any garden room.    Birds are perfect for a garden theme.  Roosters are one of my favorite collectables.  Since the Wild Stallion is one of my power animals and reminds me to fight for what is important to me, I made sure the horse statue had a prominent place in the room.   Think of your walls not just as a wall, but as a canvas that you create to create a feeling for yourself and your guests.  What do you want your room to say to those who enter your private domain?  How do you want them to feel?  How do you want to feel while you are in your home?

There are many different ways to create a room.  I prefer to use paint and image.  Others use furnishing and decor.  Each of us is individual.  It is important to find your special way of creating a home that reflects your own personality.  Just pick up a paint brush and get started!

The Instructions:

I painted the walls a sea foam green.  Then, I looked at it for several months until it spoke to me.  Yes, walls to talk!   LOL!  

The brick was created after drawing the area where the plaster would be crumbled away from the under-brick.  I chose colors that were in the large painting in the foyer.  I used red, orange, brown, and yellow.  I used a terry rag to put on the colors.  I used a small envelope to draw the brick lines, leaving space for mortar in between the brick.  Then, I painted the mortar area white.  Luckily with brick and mortar, it is very porous, so the colors do not have to be solid.  I dipped the rag into each color and then daubed the rag on the wall.  I then swirled the colors by going over the daubs with the rag until I like the texture and color formation.  

Then, I went back over the mortar lines with white.  Voila!  Brick! I shaded the edges of the plaster where it pulled away from the brick.  That made it look damaged and shadows formed.  It is a simple case of lights and shadows.  Decide which direction your light is coming from.  It is darker on the side farthest from the light.  

The picket fence was easy.  I used a board from a picket fence as a template.  Don't forget the nail heads and shadows. Details are important.

The rest was just imagination.  Ad lots of growing things and anything that reminds you of a garden. 

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